Will An Emergency Dentist Treat a Painful Canker Sore?

I’m wondering if I need to schedule my husband an appointment with an emergency dentist. He has been in agony over a canker sore for the past several days. He’s not one to complain, but when he didn’t eat dinner last night I started to worry and I asked to look. The spot looks really angry and is about the size of a kernel of corn. It’s red and raised with white on the top. Also, this isn’t the first one he’s had. He had another one a couple months back, but it was nowhere near this bad.  Would an emergency dentist help him with this, do we need to see a regular doctor, or should we give it more time to see what it does?

Thanks,

Marie – Michigan

Dear Marie,

There may be no need to see an emergency dentist just yet, especially if you haven’t tried any treatments at home. Most of the time, these spots clear up in 10-14 days on their own. It’s just a matter of managing it until you get to that point.

There are several products you can try to see if they give him some relief. An oral anesthetic from the dental aisle of just about any grocery or drug store is a good place to start. You’ll also find products aimed at covering it and protecting it. These tend to come in either a tube or as little gel-like pads that adhere to the tissue. Covers are difficult to keep on, but they can add temporary protection from temperature changes and maybe long enough to eat a meal if he’s careful. If it’s looking like it might be becoming infected, a topical antiseptic should also be applied. Some of the patches and gels already have an antiseptic in them. You can also buy a product made especially for killing germs or do a rinse with a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water. Listerine is also a good choice. Although it’s not intended to treat canker sores, some people report pain relief from using it as well.

Covers are difficult to keep on, but they can add temporary protection from temperature changes and maybe long enough to eat a meal if he’s careful. If it’s looking like it might be becoming infected, a topical antiseptic should also be applied. Some of the patches and gels already have an antiseptic in them. You can also buy a product made especially for killing germs or do a rinse with a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water. Listerine is also a good choice. Although it’s not intended to treat canker sores, some people report pain relief from using it as well.

True canker sores can be caused by a lot of things, such as biting one’s cheek, friction from a dental appliance, injury, stress, and even allergies. Plus, there are other things that masquerade as if they were canker sores, such as oral cancer or viruses. If your husband has a lot of them, he may want to see a physician or dentist to have an evaluation done. It’s also a good idea to schedule a checkup if this doesn’t clear up within two weeks of the onset or if the pain gets worse, but it doesn’t have to be with the emergency dentist unless the pain is bad.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Kevin Peck.